People have headed west in America for many reasons: From the homestead act of 1862 and the promise of free land, to the allure of becoming a movie star in the 20th century. I headed West at the end of 2013 for respite from the British winter and encountered individuals along the way with their very own unique reasons – for adventure, for the sun, simply on a family holiday, or because they had nowhere else to go.
A young boy from Mexico visiting Yosemite National Park with family stands beneath Yosemite Falls, California.
Craig Scott from Maidstone, England headed west to skateboard and with the aim of illegally "riding the trains".
Drew Merriman from Calgary, Canada came to California to escape the harsh Canadian winter and to skateboard in what is considered the mecca and home of skateboarding. Bored atop Twin Peaks, San Francisco, California.
A man's car has broken down on a side road outside Baker, California.
Nichole has been riding freight train cross country for the past 20 years and was temporarily residing on the streets of Las Vegas. She had no shoes and her feet were dense black from the soot in the train carriages.
Loading
Comments
Sign up or log in to post something
Log in to your account
Sign up: It's free and anyone can join.
Verify your account
Nearly there! We've sent you an email – just click on the link in the email to verify your account and you'll then be a fully fledged member of IdeasTap.
If you can't find the email in your inbox, check your spam folder - if it's in there, save the address in your contacts. That way you'll always get our emails.
If you're still having problems, email us at info@ideastap.com.